Law schools in the U.S. confer the Juris Doctor degree (J.D.), which is a professional doctorate, and is the highest degree necessary to practice law in the United States, and the final degree obtained by most practitioners in the field. Although most law schools only offer the traditional three-year program, other variants offered at some U.S. law schools include an Accelerated JD program, and a part-time program (usually completed in four years).
Other degrees that are awarded include the Master of Laws (LL.M.) and the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D.) degrees, which can be more international in scope. Most law schools are colleges, schools, or other units within a larger post-secondary institution, such as a university. Legal education is very different in the United States from that in many other parts of the world.